Tranquil thursday

Staying in the Moment – Tranquil Thursday #25

06/04/2026 Maggie

A black and white photo of a solitary boat on a lake

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“Wherever you are, be there totally.”
— Eckhart Tolle

There were times in my life when I worried about everything. Reflecting on that today, those times were generally clouded by some traumatic event or some extremely stressful time. When the world seems out of control like it sometimes did during Covid, or even now with the current political environment, it can be hard to stay focused on the present.

Some people do not need an unexpected event to drift into the past, the future or the vast emptiness of the internet. I am sure you know those people who cannot focus on a personal conversation without looking at their phone. Is it a form of escapism? If so, from what?

Normally when I go visit my children, I stay so focused on the moment I forget to pull out my phone and take pictures. Sometimes on the last day of my visit we may scramble to take a few shots of us together. When my mother-in-law used to visit us, about 3-4 days before the visit came to an end, she was already transitioning back home. Phone calls, emails, text messages, flights, rental cars, you name it. The visit always came to a premature end.

I do admit I have worries about our country, the climate and the earth in general.. Maybe because I have children and grandchildren who will inherit the world long after I am gone. I hope for a better place for them with dreams of them thriving in a peaceful and more united world.

I will leave you with a few thoughts to ponder. Comment below or you are welcome to write your own post and link back here. Either way, your comments are always welcome.

How successful are you at staying in the moment?
Are you a “scroller” on Social Media? If so, does it relax you or worry you?
Do you worry about the state of the world?
Having a positive outlook to share with your children or grandchildren about their future is important. What uplifting thing can you share with the next generation about the world they will inherit?
What tools do you use to enjoy the now?
Do you know someone who cannot stay still long enough to have a conversation? What advice would you give them about the value of this exact moment?

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My Garrulous Friend – Tranquil Thursday #24

05/28/2026 Maggie

A black and white photo of a solitary boat on a lake

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“Stop trying to create a current when the sea is still.”
—Brittany Burgunder

I really like her company but she talks constantly. Never shuts up. Can’t read the room, but still I am rather fond of her. Even in a quiet room she whispers under her breath. Sometimes I can barely hear her and sometimes the thoughts slip into the conversation, completely unbridled.

You guessed it. It’s me. I am the one with the mind that is never quiet. There are constant thoughts, unhinged conversations and meditative thoughts all fighting for their place in the sun. My brain never shuts off.

My daughter thinks I may have undiagnosed ADHD. I have mentioned it here before. Maybe she is right, but at my age, I am not keen to find out. I have learned to live with this sometimes unwelcome friend, but there are times when I don’t know what I would do without her.

I think this may be why meditation never really worked for me. Inside my head the conversation goes on. I have gotten used to the noise over the years. It is my own personal sound machine.

I wonder, too, if a completely quiet mind would be unsettling. It might make reading easier, but the quiet might be a little too loud.

If you would care to share, I am curious if I am the only one whose brain chatters constantly going on and on about everything and nothing. If you share this, do you have tricks to find a few moments of inner quiet? I am curious to hear.

Your comments are always welcome.

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De-Stressing – Tranquil Thursday #23

05/21/2026 Maggie

A black and white photo of a solitary boat on a lake

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“These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.”
—Najwa Zebian

Stress seems to be a product of modern life, but stress is not new. It has been around for ages and without a way to manage it, stress can be deadly. I can simplify the above quote in the way my mother would have: “Quit making a mountain out of a mole hill!”

How do I de-stress?

Last night I sat and sketched for an hour before bed. Today I plan to finish the story I am writing for Dan’s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge. Monday I had coffee with a friend.

I wish I could say working out in the gym helps me de-stress. Not so much for me. A walk in nature is more likely to do the trick. Music always works, too!

The key is whatever works for you, find time to actually do it!

The meme says “Would you like to meet up in a field of dandelions and just scream? We could get coffee after.”

No questions today. I would love to hear about the tools you use to hold stress at bay. Or drop your favorite de-stressing song in the comments.

Your comments are always welcome.

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Which Came First – Tranquil Thursday #22

05/14/202605/13/2026 Maggie

A black and white photo of a solitary boat on a lake

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“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.”
— Terry Pratchett

“I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different.”
— T. S. Elliott

I chose two quotes today as both spoke to me similarly. Of course my interpretation of the quotes is far different once you read them in context with the writer’s original intent.[1] I am choosing to interpret them as standalone quotes for purposes of this post.

I found the Pratchett quote most intriguing as it stands alone. Is it the Chicken Vs. the Egg debate all over again? Is darkness simply the absence of light or does darkness only appear when light is extinguished?

The collective WE often imagine darkness as a negative, but I think it gets a bad rap. I often find peace in the darkness and find it very meditative. Mental health challenges are also often described as a darkness, perhaps because it is often a struggle to find your way.

Consider the phrase “blinded by the light”. I immediately think of my recurring trips to the ophthalmologist and the struggle to see after bright light is shined directly into my eyes. Maybe there is the possibility of too much light, too. Sometimes we need to retreat into darkness to recover from the light.

As my mother used to say, too much of anything isn’t good for you.

The T. S. Elliot quote is similar in that we often think of birth as a beginning and death as an end. If life and death are a continuous circular idea, then how can the prior be true?

A few things to ponder and perhaps comment on. I am always interested in your perspective.

Do you perceive darkness and light as being either positive or negative? If so, can you alter your perception?
How does your belief system impact your interpretation of either quote?
Everything we see (and even experience) has some measure of both light and shadow, positive and negative, life and death. But maybe they are not balanced. My scale often tips in one direction or the other. How about yours?

Thank you for taking the time to read. Your comments are always welcome.

[1] Terry Pratchett’s quote comes from his fantasy novel Reaper Man. The T. S. Elliott quote comes from his poem Journey of the Magi.

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Dread Vs Anticipation – Tranquil Thursday #21

04/16/2026 Maggie

A black and white photo of a solitary boat on a lake

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“Anticipation and dread aren’t opposites, just different versions of the same game. Both involve knowing that something is going to happen, but not knowing when. And whether you end up winning or losing, you at least get to reach a conclusion. There’s always some comfort in that.”
— Brian K. Vaughn

Do we look forward to something pleasant with anticipation? If so, then does that mean we look toward something unpleasant or unknown with dread? I found the above quote interesting even though I am not sure I am in 100% agreement.

Tomorrow I have another eye injection. I know all the steps involved and it is uncomfortable but not painful. So why do I dread it? I think because of the tedious nature of it all. An hour to the appointment, 2 hours at the doctor’s office then an hour drive back home. After that it is the worry of protecting my eye from any possible infection. Then of course the whole underlying possibility of what this condition can mean to my vision is always in the back of my mind.

On the other hand, Monday I fly to Florida to see my family and my grandchildren. I anticipate the trip with great joy. I know that no matter what transpires, I will enjoy my visit. The outcome is worth all the preparation, the chaos at the airport and the flight.

So it is not the unknown Vs the known, because we can dread things we know well. I wondered if it was some fight or flight response, but it is more the way the brain processes emotions. I had a short discussion with ChatGPT about this and together we constructed this helpful chart in case you are like me and nerd out on such things. This was my first introduction to the habenula.